Box Score TROY, N.Y.— For the first time since 2006, the Skidmore College men's soccer team is headed to the Liberty League championship game.
 
The Thoroughbreds shut out and shut down defending champion Rensselaer 2-0 to advance to the Liberty League championship game, Saturday at St. Lawrence. Skidmore (12-5-2) handed the Saints their lone league and home loss, 1-0, on Oct. 26.

Adam Beek (Kingston, Jamaica/Kent School) opened the scoring in the eighth minute, when he curled a corner kick directly into to the RPI goal from the left. Netting his sixth goal of the season, Beek's right-footed ball found its way inside the far post, untouched.
 
Skidmore nearly made it 2-0 in the 20th minute when a corner kick found sophomore centerback Jesse Evensky (Dewitt, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) at the far post, but his point blank shot was blocked by the RPI defense.

The Engineers picked up their play early in the second stanza as they drew consecutive corner kicks in the 53rd and 54th minutes, but were unable to direct a shot on goal.
 
Brock Bakewell (Tucson, AZ/Salpointe Catholic) put the visitors ahead 2-0 in the 69th minute, when he smashed home a header off a cross by senior Alex Hodor-Lee (Manhattan, NY/American University), against the run of play. The Thoroughbreds found Hodor-Lee streaking up the right flank, before he whipped in a cross to Bakewell, who made no doubt about his 12th marker of the year.
 
RPI continued the press over the final 20 minutes, but were unable to crack sophomore goalkeeper Eli Kisselbach (Stamford, CT/Westhill) and the Skidmore defense. The Engineers' had four shot attempts within a three minute stretch, but three missed the net and a fourth was kept out by Kisselbach.
 
Kisselbach (9-4-1) stopped all five shots he faced to earn his fifth shutout, while Rensselaer junior keeper Rob Dewald (Arlington, VA/Washington-Lee) recorded four saves.